Platforms

Dating as far back as the 11th century, street performance has long been the hobby, and in some cases the occupation of Creatives all over the globe. With this in mind, Made Public hosted PLATFORMS, a five week Street Performance Festival in the heart of Romford.

Through street performance and public events we transformed the high street and challenged the way local residents used their public spaces. From poets to prancers, singers to storytellers, magicians to musicians – all performers were welcome to take their turn in the spotlight.

Drawing inspiration from Romford’s history as a market town, portable, stall shaped structures were created to house these performances. The stall like structures also doubled as both seating and eating areas for the public when not in use as performance staging. The structures played host to both local and national artists, with highlights including music from Gospel Essence, a choir recently seen on Gareth Malone’s ‘Naked Choir,’ a food foraging workshop from botanical expert James Woods and travelling dance from renown dance duo Axial dance. We also engaged with local colleges and event promoters to provide unique performance opportunities for home-grown musicians and artists.

PLATFORMS 2016 exceeded all expectations, creating a wonderful buzz and community spirit throughout Romford whilst improving footfall and dwell time within the South Street area.